Choosing our Future Plans
Choosing our Future is an initiative led by the City of Ottawa, in partnership with the City of Gatineau and the National Capital Commission, to guide Canada’s Capital Region towards a more sustainable, resilient and liveable future. Inspired by goals for economic prosperity, social well-being, culture and identity and a healthy environment, Choosing our Future proposes strategies that position the region to thrive in a changing world.
Almost every aspect of our communities will likely change over the next 50 years. The forces of change include a shifting global economy, resource scarcity and rising energy prices, a changing climate, new population dynamics, and unforeseeable events such as ice storms and other natural disasters. New technologies will change everything from how we communicate with each other to how we heat our homes. While many of the changes ahead are unclear, we can make choices today that build more sustainable communities, resilient in the face of change and offering residents a highly desirable quality of life.
Three plans were developed to guide the Partners:
- The Sustainability and Resilience Plan is an over-arching plan that identifies a long-term vision and set of goals which speak to all dimensions of sustainability - economic, social, cultural and environmental. A set of strategies outlines the broad directions to be pursued to achieve these goals over the long term, while examples of actions show specific ways to implement the strategies now and in the future.
- A Regional Energy and Emissions Plan, a sub-plan of the Sustainability and Resilience Plan, focuses on increasing renewable energy and reducing energy demand. It describes a comprehensive approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through land use as well as through strategies for buildings, energy supply, transportation and waste. This Plan also provides direction on reducing energy costs for citizens, businesses and institutions.
- The Risk Prevention and Mitigation Plan, also a sub-plan, combines sustainability planning with long-term risk management. It assesses the effects of long-term risks on our communities and describes how the Sustainability and Resilience Plan mitigates or prevents them. It then considers the vulnerabilities we may still face and recommends additional measures for Ottawa’s emergency management program.
These Plans build on the spirit of co-operation shared by the Partners in the initiative. They are intended to provide a common framework to guide the Partners’ decisions on major plans, policies and programs going forward. The Plans are also a call to action – an invitation to organizations, businesses and individuals across the Region to get involved in the process of making the transition to a more sustainable community.
For questions about the Sustainability & Resilience Plan please contact:
Anna Hercz at 613 580-2424 ext. 27887 or
Judy Flavin at 613 580-2424 ext. 27886
For questions about the Regional Energy & Emissions Plan please contact:
David Miller at 613 580-2424 ext. 21447
For questions about the Risk Prevention & Mitigation Plan please contact:
Anna Hercz at 613 580-2424 ext. 27887
For any general questions or information, please call 613 580 2424 ext 12971.
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